jones



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' THOMAS A. JONES, OF FAIRBURY, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SAMUEL M.

BARNES, OF SAME PLACE.

' HARVESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 256,484, dated April 18, 1882.

Application filed December 6, 1881. v (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatl, THOMAS A. JONES, of Fairbury, in the county of Livingston and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harvesters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same. Y

My invention relates to an improvement in harvesters.

As at present constructed, many harvestingmachines, and perhaps all machines with'selfbinding attachments, are extremely difficult to move through gates, bars, or other passageways designed for ordinary vehicles, also on narrow and elevated road-grades or on small bridges, especially when such bridges are provided with guard rails or walls at their sides. This difficulty arises from the necessary width ofsuch machines; and the object of myinvention is to provide mechanism whereby a: barvester may readily be taken through open ings, passage-ways, or over bridges which are of less width than the harvester when the latter is in working position.

With these ends in view my invention consists in certain detailsin construction and combinations of parts, as will be more fully explained, and pointed out in the claims. In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of my improved machine adapted to be drawn endwise, and also showing the draft-tonguein dotted lines in its proper position for harvesting. Fig. 2 is a view in clevation of the end of the machine in which the draftis applied, the tongue being removed, and Fig. 3 is a modified form of the rectangular frame. Fig. airepresents a front elevation of the frame partly broken away to show one means of raising and lowering the frame upon the ground-whee], and Fig. 5 is a plan of Fig. 4, the hanger being omitted.

A represents the rectangular frame, having the table B secured thereto in theordinary manner, the latter being provided atits outer. end with the caster-wheel O, which latter is adapted to stand in .the position shown in dotted lines while the machine is harvesting,

swinging arm and wheel above described a V removable wheel or wheels having a swinging arm or arms can be secured thereto andanswer all necessary purposes.

The rectangular frame A is provided with the axle E, rigidly secured thereto, on which the removable wheels F are placed when desired to transport the machine from'fie'ld to field, andwith the ground-wheel G-loosely secured to the axle H, which latter is vertically movable in the rectangular frame A, so as to enable the ground-wheel G to'be raised clear of and not interfere with the ground when the machine is being moved endwise.

The position of the tongue I when the machine is harvesting is shown in. dotted lines in Fig. 1, and is removably secured to the side piece, J, and is provided with the brace K,

which latter is also re1no\'ably*secrlre(l to the.

said side piece.

When it is desired to transport the machine through gates of constricted width the tongue I is removed from the side piece,J and secured to the end piece, J, the wheels F are secured on the spindles of the axleE, and the groundwheel G. elevated above the surface of the ground by any suitable means, so as not to in terfere with the endwise movement of the machine. I

When it is desired to operate the harvester the ground-wheel is first lowered, the wheels F removed from the axle E, and the tongue removed to its original position.

In the modification shown in Fig.3 spindles M are bolted to the end pieces of the'rectan gular frame A, instead of providing the frame with the axle shown in Fig. 1. This construe tion of parts is cheaper and lighter than the construction shown in Fig. 1.

I do notlimit myself to any particular means for raising and lowering the wheel G; but in Figs. 4 and 5 I have illustrated devices which may be used with good results. ures, Nrepresents a chain-wheel secured on the axle H, between the wheel G and the front bar of the frame A. Rigidly secured to the outer side of the wheel N, and concentric therewith, is a toothed gear-wheel, 0.

P is a hanger, provided with a toothed rack, 11, and secured within and to the frame A, so that the gear-wheel 0 will engage with the rack p.

Q is a ratchet-wheel, mounted on ashaft, R. journaled within the frame, or by brackets to one side of the latter. ltis [)IBVtfIltrd from rotating in one direction by a gravity-pawl, k. A lever, S, fulcrumed at any convenient point on the frame and provided with a point or pawl, s. engages with the ra chet-wheel Q.

A chain, T, is secured at one end to a pin,

1, ot' the chainwvheel N, and at its opposite end to the shaft R, and is adapted to wind upon said wheel and shaft when the latter is rotated by means of the lever S.

When the parts are in the position shown in the drawings, with the chain '1 passing up from the under side of the chain-wheel N and over the top of the shalt R, and the lever S is moved so as to wind the chain on the shaft R, the pinion 0 will engage the rack 19, and consequently move the said rack and attached frame upward. As the frame is moved upward the wheels F are lifted off the ground, which enables them to be easily removed from the axle E or spindles M.

\Vhen it is desired to place the machine in position for passage through narrow ways the wheels F are first secured on their spindles and the gravity-pawl it released, which allows the frame of the machine to descend until the wheels F rest on the ground. The inner end of the chain '1 is then disengaged from the wheel N and secured thereto in the opposite direction, and by applying power to the lever S in the same direction, as before described, the axle H, with its attached wheel G, is caused In these figto ascend, leaving the wheels F and C alone on the ground. The opposite end of the axle H is provided with agear-wheel and hanger similar to those above described; but no chain or chain-wheel is necessary.

These attachments can be secured to any machine without disarranging any parts, and they overcome the great difiiculties heretofore experienced in transporting machines of this character, and consequently increase their eflieiency and save a great amount of labor and time without a great expenditure of money.

It is evident that slight changes in the construction of the different parts might be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention; and hence I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction of parts shown and described, but consider myself at liberty to make such changes as come within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a harvester, the combination, with the frame having a vertically-moving axle secured thereto, the said axle being provided with a ground-wheel, of spindles secured to the said frame and adapted to receive removable wheels, and a draft-tongue adapted to be removably secured to the sides or end of said rectangular frame, substantially as set forth.

2. In a harvester, the combination, with the frame thereof, having a caster wheel secured to its outer end, of a vertically-movable axle havinga ground-wheel secured thereto, means for securing two removable wheels to the said frame at right angles to the said ground-wheel, and a removable draft tongue adapted to be secured to the sides or end of the rectangular frame, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

'l. A. JONES.

Witnesses:

D. L. MURDOCK, T. W. GORE. 

